In protein-based formulations, distinguishing aggregated API from other particle types is important for understanding the root cause of instability. Until now, existing methods have been either unreliable or too cumbersome and difficult to use in many workflows. Here we introduce the Aura system, a 96-well low-volume aggregate and particle imaging system that can rapidly size, count, and characterize particles and identify them as proteins, non-proteins, hydrophobic, or other types of molecules.